United Colors of Football

Portraits and stories in football jerseys, all over the world by photographer Guy Pichard.

Guy Pichard is a French photographer who divides his time living between France and Brazil. His photography project “United Colors of Football” features portraits of people picked at random wearing football jerseys; a mix of ages, genders and backgrounds.

“Football leaves the stadium with you,” says Guy. “All over the world – particularly in Brazil – you wear your team shirt on the street, at the cinema, at the theatre, on the bus, on the beach, at the supermarket, in restaurants. Worn proudly sometimes by choice but also by chance, without even knowing its provenance or what it represents.

“Football has this ability to abolish borders. Regardless of skin colour, nationality, age or sex, each person appropriates the shirt as they see fit. This is what I want to know: the genesis of this piece of synthetic fabric. From traditional colours to hideous designs, from imitations to original replicas, from the club of your heart to the fashion statement with or without customisation, Each shirt has a history that can have an ethnic, religious or political significance.

“A big part of the project is in Brazil, because Brazilians seem to have football jerseys from everywhere. Obviously, the more varied, the better the photos will be. Each jersey is treated in the same way, whether Botafogo or Barcelona. I even met a French fan of the Boys in Green in São Paulo.